From the Heart of the Ocean to the Evenstar to that ring in the Phantom of the Opera movie, jewelry can play a big part in a film’s  narrative. Despite being a large part of the book, Esmeralda’s  necklace has never been seen in the movie version.

Costume design from the Opera La Esmeralda  picture image

Costume design from the Opera La Esmeralda

Esmeralda wears a small oblong bag fasten to a necklace of red seeds. The bag is made from green silk and has a large imitation emerald made from glass. This is where she gets her name from but the fact that the stone is fake means that she too is fake. Esmeralda is not a real Gypsy. Inside the bag is her only link to her real self, a baby shoe.

Sister Gudule (Gladys Brockwell) showing the necklace to Esmeralda Hunchback Notre Dame 1923 picture image

Sister Gudule (Gladys Brockwell) showing the necklace to Esmeralda Hunchback Notre Dame 1923

Having the pouch in a movie would mean that Esmeralda’s backstory would have to  be played out in some way. In the 1923 movie, Esmeralda did have a necklace to signify her origins but it was a medallion and in the 1999 parody version she had a birthmark.

Esmeralda Smiling, Maureen O'Hara 1939 HUnchback of Notre Dame picture image

Esmeralda Smiling, Maureen O’Hara 1939 HUnchback of Notre Dame

However, a few years ago there was talk that the Brolin movie would be more of an action-adventure tone and treasure hunts are popular plot mechanic for that genre. If the narrative was somehow centered around Esmeralda’s jewelry having a connection to a treasure that could be location at Notre Dame, like it’s a key or just part of it, you could have a story that keeps are as a Gypsy since films like that and have her jewelry as a focal point.

Esmeralda and Sister Gudule by Benjamin Lacombe, Notre Dame de Paris Tome 2 picture image

Esmeralda and Sister Gudule by Benjamin Lacombe from Notre Dame de Paris Tome 2

Personally, I wish the origins of Esmeralda and  her original necklace would be played out in a film very but also I like jewelry in general so I would just like to see how a film could work it in to a narrative even if as stupid as the idea I proposed in that last paragraph.

In the realm of Hunchback we know that Quasimodo will (or should) be ugly and deformed and Esmeralda should be pretty, these are truth in in the novel, they have set looks. Frollo, while he does have a set look in the novel and is supposed to have an austere harsh look gets a wide variety of looks in the movies.   So today we’re are going to look at some Frollo’s various hair styles.

Frollo’s hair in the book is balding. he had tuff of ugly gray hair on the side which give him a natural tonsure. Movie never go for this look

Jehan 1923 Hunchback of Notre Dame Brandon Hurst picture image

Jehan 1923 Hunchback of Notre Dame Brandon Hurst

In the 1923 we have two Frollo, Pious Claude and Jerk Jehan. Jehan has black hair that  goes to ears and he also seen wearing a bowler-like hat. Claude has  sepia color. He has a receding hair line.

 

Jehan Frollo (Sir Cedric Hardwicke) 1939 Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Jehan Frollo, Sir Cedric Hardwicke 1939 Hunchback of Notre Dame

In the 1939 version we again have Pious Claude and Jerk Jehan. Jehan has black hair that is a straight cut across his forehead. He has lock that curl on the side his face. Claude has white hair and he wears a bishop hat.

 

Frollo (Alain Cuny), 1956 The Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Frollo (Alain Cuny), 1956 The Hunchback of Notre Dame

In the 1956 version, Frollo has a full-head of brown hair. He keeps it short.

 

Kenneth Haigh as Frollo 1977 Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Kenneth Haigh as Frollo 1977 Hunchback of Notre Dame

In the 1977, Frollo has the brown hair with a straight bang line.

Derek Jacobi as Frollo, 1982 Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Derek Jacobi as Frollo, 1982 Hunchback of Notre Dame

 

In the 1982, Frollo hair at is at it’s most stupid. It’s a blond bowl cut.

Frollo singing Hellfire Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Frollo singing Hellfire Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

 

In the Disney version, Frollo has the same cut of 1939 Jehan but with gray hair. His bangs cut straight along the center of his forehead and then it recedes.

 

Richard Harris as Frollo, 1997 The Hunchback picture image

Richard Harris as Frollo

In the 1997, he is bald.

Daniel Lavoie as Frollo Notre Dame de Paris picture  image

Daniel Lavoie as Frollo Notre Dame de Paris

 

In original Notre Dame de Paris version, he has very short brown hair.

 

Richard Berry as Frollo 1999 Quasimodo d'El Paris picture image

Richard Berry as Frollo 1999 Quasimodo d’el Paris

In the 1999  parody version, Quasimodo d’El Paris, he has short black hair with long thin sideburns.

 

Frollo’s look in the movies (and musicals) are very different than the novel but they seem based Frollo’s look on the past movies than on the novel.

 

 

Gerry Sundquist as Gringoire, 1982 Hunchback of Notre Dame oicture image

Gerry Sundquist as Gringoire, 1982 Hunchback of Notre Dame

Essentially, the 1982 Gringoire function the same of he does in the 1939 movie as the lovestruck poet who falls in love with Esmeralda and is desperate to save her. However the 1982 Gringoire employs different means than his 1939 counterpart to save her. The 1982 Gringoire doesn’t use words and the printing press to save Esmeralda. Instead he uses a speech. He also suggests to Frollo that he could switch places with Esmeralda and that he will be willing to die in her place. This was in the book except it was Frollo that suggested the idea and Gringoire rejected it.

Gerry Sundquist as Gringoire & Robert Powell as Phoebus, 1982 Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Gerry Sundquist as Gringoire & Robert Powell as Phoebus, 1982 Hunchback of Notre Dame

The 1982 Gringoire has some new facets to the characters. First we see Gringoire trying to sell some sonnets. I think this is the first and only time we see him doing this. he also is the only Gringoire to write a poem for Esmeralda. He is also the first and only Gringoire to get very jealous at Esmeralda’s adoration for Phoebus.

Gerry Sundquist as Gringoire, 1982 Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Gerry Sundquist as Gringoire, 1982 Hunchback of Notre Dame

 

Aside from these instances of character the 82 Gringoire is very much like 1939 version. However, the 1982 version of Gringoire feels more like a real person. The 1939 version was a bit too nice and perfect. He doesn’t seem as in control the same way as the1939 version. This one gets jealous and petty in regards to Phoebus and his utter desperation to save Esmeralda while really expecting nothing makes him compelling.

Gerry Sundquist as Gringoire & Lesley-Anne Down as Esmeralda, 1982 Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Gerry Sundquist as Gringoire & Lesley-Anne Down as Esmeralda, 1982 Hunchback of Notre Dame

Is it the 1982 version of Gringoire greatest bestest Gringoire ever? No but it’s not an offensive depiction and it’s solid which consider most adaptation of the story is a very good thing (having flashbacks to Enchanted Tales version of Gringoire).

Next 1982 version Article; Jerky Jerk Phoebus

Robert Powell as Phoebus, 1982 Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Robert Powell as Phoebus, 1982 Hunchback of Notre Dame

 

Anthony Hopkins as Quasimodo, 1982 Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Anthony Hopkins as Quasimodo, 1982 Hunchback of Notre Dame

The 1982 version is like the 1939 version of Quasimodo; Good Night everyone.

Anthony Hopkins as Quasimodo, 1982 Hunchback of Notre Dame, picture image

Anthony Hopkins as Quasimodo, 1982 Hunchback of Notre Dame

Alright, is all serious Hopkins plays Quasimodo pretty much like Laughton 1939 version. He is very sympathetic and humanized. He doesn’t have any malice in his personality. There is few difference to this Quasimodo verses the 1939.

Anthony Hopkins as Quasimodo and Lesley-Anne Down as Esmeralda,  1982 Hunchback of Notre Dame

Anthony Hopkins as Quasimodo and Lesley-Anne Down as Esmeralda, 1982 Hunchback of Notre Dame

First the big one, Quasimodo dies in this version. Frollo stabs him while he is protecting Esmeralda. Now this is the second time Quaismodo has died as a result of Frollo stabbing but this is the first time where Quasimodo kills Frollo by impaling him on a large nail. It rob Frollo of his dramatic death. But seeing how Quasimodo doesn’t exactly go into a fit of rage it’s a mute point.

Anthony Hopkins as Quasimodo, 1982 Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Anthony Hopkins as Quasimodo, 1982 Hunchback of Notre Dame

As Quasimodo doesn’t swing down from Notre Dame. Instead he climbs down and fights off the guard and carries her in. It’s less dramatic but it have good tension and action.

Anthony Hopkins as Quasimodo, 1982 Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Anthony Hopkins as Quasimodo, 1982 Hunchback of Notre Dame

Let’s talk about his looks. Quasimodo has a very 80’s style haircut. It’s like a mullet. His protrusion is more wart like. The teeth were very jagged. It a good look except for the hair it’s too silly 80s hair.

Anthony Hopkins as Quasimodo, 1982 Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Anthony Hopkins as Quasimodo, 1982 Hunchback of Notre Dame

Another difference between the 82 and the 39 version is in was they approach to the character’s lines. Laughton plays him with a lot of pathos and sympathy. Hopkins has a great combination of pathos and jovial-ness to his dialogue.

Anthony Hopkins as Quasimodo, 1982 Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Anthony Hopkins as Quasimodo, 1982 Hunchback of Notre Dame

While this version is comparable to the 1939 version Hopkins does brings a new angle to the sympathetic Quasimodo and it’s a very good depiction of Quasimodo except for that mullet.

Next 1982 Article

Gerry Sundquist as Gringoire, 1982 Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Gerry Sundquist as Gringoire, 1982 Hunchback of Notre Dame

 

The Bechdel test is a litmus test used to identify gender bias in fiction but its main application is for movies. The test was named after Alison Bechdel for her 1985 comic strip, Dykes to Watch Out for. Passing or failing the Bechdel test does not indicate the quality of the movie, a great movie will fail and a terrible movie will pass.

To pass the Bechdel test a work needs to meet 3 criteria; 1) It has to have at least two named female characters, 2) That talk to each other 3) About something other than a male.   Though some people thinks the duration of the conversation should be at least a minute. Most movies fail the Bechdel test.

 

Esmeralda and Sister Gudule by Benjamin Lacombe, Notre Dame de Paris Tome 2 picture image

Esmeralda and Sister Gudule by Benjamin Lacombe from Notre Dame de Paris Tome 2

Most versions of the Hunchback fail the Bechdel test because there is typically only one to three named women in the movie; Esmeralda, Fleur de Lys, and Madame de Gondelaurier (given name Aloyse) and they never speak to one another in a conversion. Interestingly enough the novel passes as Esmeralda and her mother, Sister Gudule, (a.k.a Paquette Guybertaut, a.k.a. “La Chantefleurie” {talk about being named}) have a conversation about their identities. .

 

Gudule (Gladys Brockwell) Hunchback of Notre Dame 1923 picture image

Gudule (Gladys Brockwell) Hunchback of Notre Dame 1923

With exclusion of Sister Gudule’s character the story loses its overall female presence. Only three works maintain Gudule (or the mother figure) has a character; the 1923 version, the awful Enchanted tales version, and the abysmal Dingo version.

 

Marie; Queen of the Gypsies (Eulalie Jenson) Hunchback of Notre Dame 1923 picture image

Marie; Queen of the Gypsies (Eulalie Jenson) Hunchback of Notre Dame 1923

The 1923 version, out of all the Hunchback versions has the biggest female presence as it has five named females; Esmeralda, Madame de Gondelaurier, Fleur de Lys, Sister Gudule and Marie. Esmeralda, Marie and Sister Gudule have a scene where they sort of converse and Esmeralda and Marie have a conversation in another scene but it’s very unclear what it’s about. Fleur de Lys and Madame de Gondelaurier are always in scenes with Phoebus and they never really converse with other. But the scene with Marie, Esmeralda and Gudule would give it a pass for Bechdel test.

 

Genevieve with the Annoying Instruments, Enchanted Tales Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Genevieve with the Annoying Instruments, Enchanted Tales Hunchback of Notre Dame

The Enchanted tales version has Melody (Esmeralda) and her mother, Genevieve but they don’t have an conversation with each other plus those annoying instruments are in the way.  So it doesn’t pass.

Esmeralda and her mother, Dingo Hunchback of Notre Dame, picture image

Esmeralda and her mother, Dingo Hunchback of Notre Dame

 

The Dingo version for all its badness does have Esmeralda and Sister Gudule speaking to each other about who there are so it sort of gets a pass and sort of fails because Sister Gudule isn’t referred to by name it only if you make the connection to the book that you know her name. Though this could be an oversight in the dub.

 

Fleur de Lys (Helene Whitney) 1939 Hunchback of Notre Dame costume picture image

Helene Whitney as Fleur de Lys, 1939 Hunchback of Notre Dame

The other Hunchback movies fail. In the 1939 version it’s really only Esmeralda. Fleur de Lys is a featured extra that is mentioned by name but they share no dialogue with other.

 

Danielle Dumont as Fleur de Lys, 1956 Hunchback of Notre dame picture image

Danielle Dumont as Fleur de Lys, 1956 Hunchback of Notre dame

In the 1956 version there is Esmeralda, Aloyse de Gondelaurier, and  Fleur de Lys. Aloyse de Gondelaurier, and  Fleur de Lys only shared dialogue is about Phoebus and  Madame de Gondelaurier’s husband.

 

Hetty Baynes as Fleur de Lys, Ruth Goring as Madame de Gondelaurier, and Richard Morant as Phoebus, 1977 Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Hetty Baynes as Fleur de Lys, Ruth Goring as Madame de Gondelaurier, and Richard Morant as Phoebus, 1977 Hunchback of Notre Dame

The 1977 has  Fleur de Lys and Madame Gondelaurier but Phoebus is in all their scenes.

Lesley-Anne Down as Esmeralda, 1982 Hunchback of Notre Dame, picture image

Lesley-Anne Down as Esmeralda, 1982 Hunchback of Notre Dame

Salma Hayek as Esmeralda, 1997 Hunchback of Notre Dame, picture image

Salma Hayek as Esmeralda, 1997 Hunchback of Notre Dame

 

 

 

 

 

 

The 1982 and the 1997 version only really have Esmeralda as the only female character.

Esmeralda Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Esmeralda, Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

Laverne Guy like you Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame image picture

Laverne Guy like you Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

Madeline Sequel Hunchback of Notre Dame II Disney picture image

Madeline Hunchback of Notre Dame II Disney

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Disney version has two named females; Esmeralda and Laverne and they never speak to each other. This goes for Der Glöckner von Notre Dame as well.  As for the Disney sequel we get three females with the addition of Madeline.  However none of these characters speak to each other.   3 Fails.

 

Juie Zenatti as Fleur de Lys & Helene Segara as Esmeralda, Notre Dame de Paris Original Cast, picture image

Juie Zenatti as Fleur de Lys & Helene Segara as Esmeralda, Notre Dame de Paris Original Cast

The musical Notre Dame de Paris has Esmeralda and Fleur de Lys and while they share a song Beau Comme Le Soleil it’s clear that they singing isolation and it’s very much about Phoebus. So it fails.

Mélanie Thierry as Esmeralda/Agnes and Axelle Abbadie as Mme Le Gouverneur, Quasimodo d'el Paris, picture image

Mélanie Thierry as Esmeralda/Agnes and Axelle Abbadie as Mme Le Gouverneur, Quasimodo d’el Paris

The parody version Quasimodo d’El Paris has a few named females characters Esmeralda/Agnes, Mme Le Gouverneur (if that counts as a name), Gudule, and Mme Jackson. They don’t really have a conversation with each other. Esmeralda and Mme Le Gouverneur exchange a line of dialogue before it shifts to a man. Fail

 

Illustration Sister Gudule and Esmeralda by  Luc Oliver Merson picture image

Illustration Sister Gudule and Esmeralda by Luc Oliver Merson

The point of  The Bechdel test isn’t to pass or fail, its point is to show the overall presence of females in media and how integral they are to the story but it mainly shows gender bias. The Hunchback is at a core a story of how one women impacts men, so by its very concept it has to have more males. However even though it’s a story that center around a women it’s still a male driven story. With Sister Gudule there is a more female presence and the exclusion of character from the majority of the retellings does pretty much kills female presence in the story.

Today’s Fan-art was composed by me using the Heroine Creator on Azalea Dolls

It was inspired by Maureen OHara’s Esmeralda in the 1939 version.

Inspired by Maureen O'Hara's Esmeralda using the Heroine Creator on Azalea  Dolls picturei mage

Inspired by Maureen O’Hara’s Esmeralda using the Heroine Creator on Azalea Dolls

I’m doing these  for all the different version’s Esmeralda.

Today’s Fan-art is by Mimitchki. It’s traditional drawing of Esmeralda and Quasimdo from the 1939 version. At first glance as a thumbnail, I thought this was a screen-cap but then I noticed the background and knew it wasn’t. I find this rendering on this stunning. It looks so lifelike but you can definitely see the artist’s style.  I love the play of light and shadows.

Hunchback Of Notre Dame by Mimitchki

Hunchback Of Notre Dame by Mimitchki

http://mimitchki.deviantart.com/art/Hunchback-Of-Notre-Dame-140312631

Check out more from Mimitchki

A Tear for a Drop of Brand Named Soda

Shameless Product Placement by Professor Donohue

Shameless Product Placement by Professor Donohue

 

Made by by Professor Donohue

Esmeraldas of Hunchback of Notre Dame Miller, O'Hara, Lollobrigida, Down, Disney, Hayek, Segara, Thierry, Enchanted Tales

Miller, O’Hara, Lollobrigida, Down, Disney, Hayek, Segara, Thierry, Enchanted Tales

 

What Hunchback version is your favorite?

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Frollo from the 1939 version loves anime kitty-cats

Frollo loves Anime Cats picture image

Frollo loves Anime Cats

For those of you who care the cats are from the following anime  Azumanga Daioh, Nyan Koi, Natsume Yuujinchou, School Rumble, Ramna 1/2 Sailor Moon, Nyanpire, Fushigi Yuugi, Sweet Home Chii, Jewel Pet, Nichjou, Hello Kitty, Full Moon wo Sagashite, Pokemon, Sankarea, Trigun, and My Neighbor Totoro.